Time Running Out for Fulmer.

This season of UT football started out looking up for Philip Fulmer, instead he's in the line of fire about his coaching job.

This season started out with promise, with new receivers being thrown to by All-SEC quarterback Erik Ainge. An improved offensive line and steady running attack was also expected. But with a couple of key losses this season to your biggest opponents, it has stirred up talk about the performance, not of the players, but of head coach Philip Fulmer. You look at the career statistics of Fulmer and say to yourself, "How can people even think about wanting to let him go?" That is a valid point with a 125-45 record overall at Tennessee, that's a winning percentage of 73.5.

My opinion is a fair opinion. I'm not going to get on this soapbox and hurl fat jokes at Philip Fulmer. Honestly, fat joke are really insensitive and immature. This is just an honest opinion on the job he has done in two different time spans.

From 1993-1999 could be consider the "Golden Age" for UT football. Fulmer's record was 75-15, with a 48-10 record in the Southeastern Conference (better known as the SEC). That record also includes a 2-1 record he had in 1992 when he filled in for, then head coach, Johnny Majors. During that span, he brought a National Title and two SEC titles to "Rocky Top". His teams were also good in big games, with a 21-10 record against teams ranked in the Top 25 poll and a 4-3 record in bowl games. They had limited success against Florida (1-6 to be exact). But, with Steve Spurrier at the helm, the Gators ruled over the SEC in the Mid-late 90s. They made up for it with a 6-1 record against arch-rivals Alabama.

Switch from then to 2000-Arkansas of 2007. The Vols are 50-30 in this time span and 42-20 in the SEC. They have found success against the Gators, having 3 wins to their credit, and victories against Alabama have come fairly easily with a 6-2 record against the Tide. But where it really falls off, is the big games. Tennessee is only 16-21 against Top 25 teams, and a 2-3 record in bowl games, with not even making it to a bowl game in their 5-6 season of 2005.

What does all this mean? Well, if the Vols continue on this track, they'll fall into mediocrity. The fact is, Tennessee hasn't made it to the SEC title game since 2001, and hasn't even won it since 1998. They also haven't made it into a BCS bowl since 1999. But the thing that sticks out to the "Vol Nation" is the lack of success in bowl games. During that 2-3 stretch in bowl games since 2000, big victories have come against Michigan in 2001 and Texas A&M in 2004. But the losses came to the hand of Kansas State in 2000, a 31-3 beat down by Maryland in 2002 and Clemson in 2003.

People in support of Fulmer look at his overall record and say why fire him? Here's why. It's true, from 1993-1999 he did amazing coaching jobs. But look at it a little closer. In that time span, he had dynamic quarterbacks. Heath Schular, Peyton Manning, and Tee Martin led the way for the Vols. But what he also had, was the offensive mind of David Cutcliffe. Cutcliffe left the Vols to take the head coaching job at Mississippi before the 1998 national title game. Randy Sanders did take over for that game, but took full control in 1999 when the Vols with 9-3. Sanders coached from 2000-2005 and had nowhere near the success with quarterbacks Casey Clausen, Rick Clausen, Brent Schaeffer, and Erik Ainge as Cutcliffe did with the "Three-Headed Monster" he had in the 90s. Cutcliffe returned to the Vols in 2006, and the Vols looked to be as good as there were.

But this season has shown, with teams like Oregon, Florida, California, and even Appalachian State (when they won at Michigan) running a spread/sometimes option offense, the game has passed up Fulmer. Sure, thanks to a crazy season in college football, the Vols are in control of where they go for the postseason. Win these next two versus Vanderbilt and Kentucky, and you go to the SEC Title Game. Win that, probably against number one LSU, and go to the Sugar Bowl. But this season has been a wake up call to me, and should be to everyone else that a change has to be made in the offense scheme of things. Don't look at it game by game or you'll become fair weathered about this. Look at everything as a whole and how its done. They have the plays and the players to run it, but Fulmer is too stubborn headed to run them. The old days of running the ball up the middle and using your defense is all over. "Bear" Bryant's style of offense has been replaces by Urban Meyer's vision of a flashy, trick play game plan.

I'm not fair weathered on this. I absolutely am behind the Vols 110 percent. There just needs to come a time, hopefully soon, when someone pulls the trigger and says enough to the boring, predictable offense that the Vols are running. But I urge Vol fans to refrain from the fat jokes about Fulmer. I was guilty as anyone and one time. But those jokes just make you look stupid and your opinions invalid.

*A lot has happened in the last year and a half since this blog was done. While I agree with the firing of Phil Fulmer and I am very excited at the upcoming season with Lane Kiffin, I want to give Fulmer his proper due. He gave a lot to the University of Tennessee and left it all out on the field as a player and a coach. The legend of Fulmer will be forever remembered and I want to thank him.*

Not "The Game of the Century"...but still the same meaning.

Amazing, one year ago there was about 2 months of hype surrounding the Ohio State-Michigan football game.

Where did all this hype go? Each team still has a small test before this game. With Ohio State versus Illinois and Michigan versus Wisconsin this week, there is no guarantee these two teams will be playing the deciding game for the Big 10 title. But for the moment, lets assume they each win.

Ohio State is currently 10-0, 6-0 in the Big Ten. Michigan is 8-2, 6-0 in the Big Ten. With this game being the biggest rivalry in college football and both currently undefeated heading into this final game of the year for each team, why is everyone overlooking this game?

I have a theory on this. Ohio State is the number one team in the nation in all polls, most importantly the Bowl Championship Series poll. But the concensus around the nation is that Ohio State does not deserve the number one ranking. They really haven't played a hard non-conference schedule, Washington being their toughest opponent. But look at the dynamics and the makeup of this Buckeye squad. Todd Boeckman, quarterback, has the same statistics as Troy Smith...who ended up with the Heisman Trophy. They have a very solid ground attack led by Chris Wells. Lastly, but certainly not least, is the defense led by All-American lineback James Laurinaitis.

Sound familiar Tennessee fans? Do you remember the makeup of the 1998 National Title team? Tee Martin, the very solid quarterback that followed all everything quarterback Peyton Manning. The running attack of Travis Stephens and Travis Henry. Lastly, the very good defense with an All-American linebacker Al Wilson. That team, like this year's 2007 Ohio State team, was full of team players and lacking playmakers.

On the Michigan side, it sounds like people have written off the Wolverines based on the 34-32 monumental upset that Appalachian State pulled off in "The Big House". They then followed that up with Oregon coming into town and defeating Michigan 39-7. But that was back in September. We're well into November so let's look at what that means now. Appalachian State was already defending back-to-back national champions of the Championship Subdivision (formerly the Division 1-AA). They currently sit at 7-2 overall, losing to F.C.S powerhouses Wofford and Georgia Southern. Oregon is one of seven one-loss teams looking to make it to the B.C.S. Title Game. Oregon has all but wrapped up the Pacific-Ten championship.

So with all this said about Ohio State and Michigan, why is this game not getting the proper credit in 2007. 2006 featured each team at 10-0 and they were ranked one and two respectively. The Buckeyes won this classic 42-39. O.S.U has won four of the last five, but Michigan leads overall at 57-40-6. Other says, well Michigan and Ohio State lost their respective bowl games last year. All I say to this, is that this is 2007. 2006 was last year so lets leave that in the past when talking about this game.

Take this game as it is. It may not be the 1 vs. 2 matchup that we all were anticipating for two months last year. This is probably not going to be the game of the century. But what it will be, is a game for the Big Ten title, each team has won at least eight straight games, and barring an upset this weekend, each team will be in the Top ten. Those who say there is not as much on the line in this game as last year, think about this. With a win, Ohio State wins the Big Ten and goes to the National Title game, and sits back for a month to see which one-loss team faces them. With a Michigan win, the Wolverines make it back to the Rose Bowl for a second straight year, win the Big Ten title, and open up the BCS for teams like LSU, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and West Virginia.

So with each team winning this week, on November 17 at noon, I know where I will be. I'll tuning in to watch this game, could be one of the biggest of the year.

Moss...Moss..and more Moss

Thought of once as a thug...selfish....arrogant wide reciever, Randy Moss has developed into the NFL's most prolific reciever in 2007.

Of course, with the help of probably the best QB in the NFL of the last 5 years, Tom Brady. But Moss has done a good chunk of it on his own. His nine receptions for 145 yards and one touchdown this past Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, proved to the ones who had doubted him before, that he is among the elite in the NFL.

This season alone he has 924 yards recieving and 12 touchdowns. His best season in the NFL was in 2003, when Moss played for the Minnesota Vikings. That year he had 1,632 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns. Halfway into 2007 with the Patriots, he's on pace to shatter that. Not too long ago, fans and media were making Randy Moss into the likes of Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson.

In 2005, Moss decided to walk off the field before the game was over. Granted, only a few seconds were left of the clock. But still, football is a team sport, and at that point in his carreer, he was anything but a team player. After a couple of lack luster seasons in Oakland, the New England Patriots decided to shovel out some money and find their All-Pro quarterback some new targets.

The Patriots took a chance, and this season it has paid off. Maybe some of Moss's problems was the team he played on. In Minnesota, he had to play in between the Randall Cunningham era and the Dante Culpepper reign. Even though he had some good games and seasons, Randy never really had anyone on his team to complement him. In Oakland, the played quarterback roullete, had Lamont Jordan at running back, a groupe full of old men on defense, and a offensive line that pee wee defenses could get around. Now in New England, Moss isn't the top dog. With names like Brady, Bruschi, and Harrison, Moss can simply do what he does best...catch big passes and score multiple touchdowns.

My opinion, Moss's biggest downfall in Minnesota and Oakland wasn't the fact he was considered a troublemaker...or his attitude. All Moss need is a team where he isn't the dominate star. In New England, he may be the best reciever, but when your quarterback has 33 touchdowns and four interceptions, your not the biggest star. So lets see if this change in Moss is for real. And instead of T.O and Ocho Cinco...lets start considering him in the same category as Marvin Harrison and Steve Smith